Henry resigns, transitional council takes over amidst political turmoil and hunger crisis in Haiti

In an announcement made yesterday (25th November), Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared his resignation and has handed over power to a transitional council tasked with finding solutions for the country’s ongoing political crisis. Henry acknowledged that due to “current affairs,” this is a timely moment in which he should step down, stating: “We have served our nation during difficult times… I thank everyone who faced these challenges with me.” In recent weeks Haiti has seen violent outbursts and gang activity causing significant damage to government structures and social order. Henry had previously announced his intention to resign once a decision was made regarding the country’s future leadership, which followed soon after the formation of this transitional council in March 2021. Michael Patrick Boisvert, Haiti’s finance minister has been appointed as interim prime minister until a new government is formed by the committee that will be responsible for naming both a new Prime Minister and cabinet members. A press release shared through an X post on Henry’s office explained this “new political roadmap [has] not sought any political figure’s designation”, although noted former president Rene Preval was still under consideration to chair the committee overseeing elections next year (as well as serving in a caretaker role until then). The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) welcomed this new council, stating that it could mark “a new beginning for Haiti.” Meanwhile UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric praised the development and urged a quick deployment of multinational security missions in an attempt to alleviate existing chaos brought upon by various insurgent groups taking hold in Port au Prince, resulting in damage sustained on infrastructure vital for essential food supply chains since February 2021. The UN has reported that nearly five million people are currently suffering from acute hunger within Haiti as a result of these developments and warns that the country’s worst humanitarian crisis – first observed following an earthquake ten years ago, may well be getting worse still today. Additionally, the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) recently reported that sexual violence in Haiti is severely underreported and largely unpunished with cases of rape as well as forced sexual relations committed by gang members becoming increasingly commonplace within this ongoing crisis.